Comeback Kids: The Return of Madisyn Cox and Dana Vollmer to the Competition Pool

madisyn-cox-
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

By Andy Ross.

The 2018 US Winter National Championships are this weekend in Greensboro, North Carolina. The meet roster is not huge, but some of the USA’s best names will be competing this weekend for the first time since Pan Pacs.

WINTER NATIONALS PSYCH SHEET

Katie LedeckyNathan Adrian and Simone Manuel are set to compete in North Carolina, as well as international stars Kylie Masse and Markus Thormeyer from Canada. This meet will be the first chance to qualify for Olympic Trials in 2020, meaning that Winter Nationals will be swum in long course, despite December being known as a “short course month.” Winter Nationals are generally swum in yards, with the exception of the pre-Olympic year being swum in long course.

It will be an interesting change, and the professionals, who have no benefit of racing short course except to challenge their college compatriots, will have something to gain this weekend.

What exactly is to gain? For Madisyn Cox and Dana Vollmer, they have everything to gain.

Cox was most notably hit with a two-year doping suspension this summer, totally zapping any chances at competing for a spot on the 2020 Olympic Team. Her suspension was eventually overturned, vindicating her from a potentially career ending sentence. She is entered this weekend in the 200 free, 200 IM, 400 IM, 100 Breast and 200 Breast.

For Cox, this meet will be her first meet back since the Atlanta Pro Swim Series in March. It has been a long road back from suspension, but Cox is finally able to compete.

The level of rest Cox has received coming into this meet is unknown, but she will be a welcomed sight to fellow National team members who missed her on the pool deck in Irvine at Nationals this summer.

Cox entered 2018 as one of the top 200 IM’ers in the nation. She stole the bronze medal in the event at the 2017 World Championships, and she continued that momentum into 2018, when she swam a 2:10.98 in the 200 IM at the Atlanta Pro Swim Series. That in-season swim put her tied for 12th in the world rankings this year with Japan’s Rika Omoyo.

The times may not mean much at this point in the season, but the fact Cox could qualify for Olympic Trials this weekend is a win in itself, something many might not have thought possible four months ago.

madisyn-cox-

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Also making her return to the pool this weekend is Dana Vollmer, who gave birth to her second child in July 2017. Vollmer just turned 31 a couple weeks ago, and since Rio, she has only swam three official races. She did the 50 free while pregnant at the Mesa Pro Swim Series in April 2017, and swam the 50 free and 50 fly at the 2018 Austin Pro Swim Series in January. She did not make it out of prelims in any of those swims.

She is entered this weekend in just two events again, but this time is doubling up the distances with the 100 fly and 100 free on her schedule. Those are the same two events she qualified in at the last Olympics in Rio, capturing the bronze medal in the 100 fly and anchoring the 4×100 free relay team to a silver medal.

Vollmer is the sixth seed in the 100 free and fifth seed in the 100 fly. She hasn’t raced anything over a 50 since the Olympics, and this weekend will be her first chance at racing her best event, the 100 fly, an event she held the world record in at one point.

Her last two meets have been “no pressure” meets since she was pregnant in Mesa, and was only swimming in Austin basically because she was “feeling speedy.” This will be her first meet back where she should be taken seriously.

Right now in American swimming, the women’s 100 fly is still a weak event. Kelsi Dahlia is very clearly the woman to beat in the 100 fly in the United States right now, posting an impressive 56.44 at Pan Pacs this summer, putting her third in the world for 2018. The next American was Katie McLaughlin (57.51), who was 12th in the world. McLaughlin is on a bit of a comeback trail herself and maybe she is the answer for that second spot. Maybe McLaughlin needs more time to get down to a 56 before Olympic Trials, but Vollmer has shown that she is not messing around when it comes to her comeback.

Neither Dahlia nor McLaughlin will be in attendance in Greensboro. The number one American seeded in the event is 27-year-old Amanda Kendall.

Vollmer probably won’t go a 57.5 this weekend, and might not even touch first. But many will be keeping an eye on where she is in her progress after having her second child.

In 2015 she was a 58.94 at the Summer Nationals, placing fourth in her first meet back after her first child. Four months later, she was the Winter National Champion with a 57.95. She eventually got down to a 57.21 at the 2016 Olympic Trials for her third Olympic team berth.

So is Vollmer legit? Does she have a chance to get down and challenge for a fourth Olympic team? If Vollmer can break a minute this weekend, then she should not be counted out moving forward.

Only four women have made four Olympic Games appearances for USA Swimming–Dara Torres made five. Jill SterkelAmanda Beard and Jenny Thompson made four. Vollmer has a chance to join elite company if she can get that second spot in less than two years.

But the 2020 Olympic Trials are still a ways away, and for Madisyn Cox and Dana Vollmer, it will be an end destination that has only gotten sweeter over time. And the road back starts this weekend in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use

2 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Superfan
Superfan
5 years ago

My guess is that Madyson will get same rest as the Texas women get for their Invite this weekend!

Leslie Cichocki
5 years ago

Go Dana

2
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x